A marathon, which spans 42.2 kilometers (26.2 miles), is a fairly difficult race to finish for every runner, let alone win. It is arguably the toughest running sport there is, as it challenges the runner’s mental and physical capacity, pushing their body beyond its limits and, in the process, strengthening their will.
And, according to Run Repeat’s research, the average marathon time around the globe is 4:29:53. To break it down by gender, it takes an average of 4:21:03 for men to complete a marathon and 4:48:45 for women.
However, last Sunday at the New York City Marathon, Tamirat Tola from Ethiopia finished the race in under half the average time, recording 2 hours, 4 minutes, and 58 seconds.
Tola, winner of the 2023 NYC marathon
Tola had been running marathons for a decade, with several titles to his name. But he recorded his best one yet last Sunday at the NYC marathon, which was described by USA Today as a race that had “26.2-mile five-borough trek through the city.”
The event drew around 50,000 runners, which was a tough barrier to break through if one happens to be located in the middle or even more so in the last portions of the crowd.
Nevertheless, the great number proved to be no match for Tola’s speed and stamina. It was around the half-the-marathon mark where the competition really began, as it was during this point that the leaders of the race began to separate themselves from the pack.
And leading that pack were Tola and his fellow compatriot, Jemal Yimer.
Proving that Tola had all the experience and training in the world, Tola accelerated towards the finish line, leaving the other runners in his wake and eventually breaking the tape at 2:04:58.
Yimer, on the other hand, lagged behind and finished ninth.
The runner-up, Albert Korir from Kenya, finished two minutes after Tola had broken the tape, recording 2:06:57. Two years prior, Koir was crowned the NYC Marathon winner.
And coming in third was Tola and Yimer’s fellow countryman, Shura Kitata.
Tola smashes Mutai’s NYC record
Coming into the marathon, Tola had no ambitions of smashing records and only had his eyes set on winning.
But as it stands, after the marathon, Tola ended up achieving both. With a time of 2:04:58, he is now the new record holder of the NYC marathon, replacing the 2011 record set by Geoffrey Mutai, 2:05:06.
NYC Marathon Men’s Results, as reported by the Bleacher Report:
1. Tamirat Tola (2:04:58)
2. Albert Korir (2:06:57)
3. Shura Kitata (2:07:11)
4. Abdi Nageeye (2:10:21)
5. Koen Naert (2:10:25)
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